Ornamental grilles are commonly used on buildings for aesthetic and/or security purposes. It is conventional practice to permanently attach an ornamental grille over a window. While this is desirable for security purposes, it eliminates that window as an escape route in the event of a fire or other emergency. Ornamental grilles affixed to the building in this manner, coupled with a fire which blocks other exit paths, have combined to imprison the occupants of a burning building.
Various releasable locking mechanisms have been used with ornamental grillework. However, none of these have been satisfactory for assuring quick and easy release of an ornamental grille from the interior of a building. One ornamental grille lock which is usable with a wrought iron gate, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,176 which issued to Gonzalez-Cuzan. This patent shows a lock including a bar attached to the ornamental grille and extending part way into a rotatable barrel. The barrel is mounted in the fixed structure of the gate or wall and can be rotated to lock and release the locking mechanism.
While the patented construction may be suitable for gate usage, it is not adapted for use in releasably attaching ornamental grilles to buildings. For example, with the patented construction the locking and releasing action occurs within a barrel which is in turn embedded within the wall. As the locking mechanism is concealed and rigidly enclosed by the wall, it is not accessible. Accordingly, if the lock should jam or bind during an emergency, it could not be quickly repaired or released. In addition, the rotatable barrel, being embedded in the wall, is more subject to jamming due to dirt and other contaminants or due to movement of the wall which may be caused by settling of the building, earthquakes, expansion, contraction, etc.